John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath got its title from a line in "The Battle Hymn of the Republic": "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored."
Often heard as a patriotic song, "Down Under" is really about the selling of Australia and makes a strong political statement.
Neil Young rarely allows his songs to be sampled, but he let the Canadian group Redlight King use "Old Man" in their 2011 song, also called "Old Man."
"Zombie" by The Cranberries is about an IRA bombing in England that killed two children.
Al Green wrote the lyrics for “Let's Stay Together” in five minutes after Willie Mitchell gave him a rough mix of a tune that he and drummer Al Jackson had developed.
"A Hard Day's Night" was the title song to The Beatles' first movie, which was surprisingly good: it was nominated for two Oscars.
Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.
She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.
The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.
The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.
With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.
